Senator David Perdue: The RAISE Act Should Be Part Of Congress’ Immigration Solution

Politics

Senator David Perdue On Fox News: Immigration Solution Should Include RAISE Act

Politics, State & National

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) spoke with ‎Ainsley Earhardt, Steve Doocy, and Pete Hegseth on Fox News Channel’s Fox & Friends about the Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy (RAISE) Act and why it should be included in any solution to fix our country’s immigration problems.

Bipartisan Solution: “I applaud President Trump for reaching out. There is going to have to be a bipartisan solution to DACA. We all want a compassionate solution, but it must also include a fix to our archaic, 50-year old immigration system. That solution should include the RAISE Act. It eliminates chain migration and for once brings us merit based immigration.”

Historic Opportunity: “This is a national security issue. Parts of that border need a wall. There’s no question about it. President Trump said we are going to build a wall and we will build that wall. Let’s not miss this historic opportunity to fix this immigration system to better our economy.”

Securing America: “We’d love to have e-verify, the wall, security for the border, and the RAISE Act. These are things that conservatives in America really want. If you look at President Trump’s election last year, you can see that today.”

Broad Support: “The RAISE Act is extremely popular. Nearly three-fourths of Americans want some sort of reform of the immigration system to focus it on the worker and the immediate family.”

Top Priority For Americans: “This is an issue the American people want solved. Almost two-thirds of Americans believe this needs to be a merit-based immigration system just like the President has outlined. Tom Cotton and I have been working on this for months. It should be a bipartisan solution because the Democrats first had the idea in the 1990s.”

Breaking Through Gridlock: “Forget about partisan politics, the American people want to break through the gridlock and get this resolved. President Trump wants results.”

Senator David Perdue: RAISE Act Eliminates Outdated Diversity Visa Lottery

Politics, State & National

Senator David Perdue: RAISE Act Eliminates Outdated Diversity Visa Lottery

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) comments on how the Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy (RAISE) Act, would eliminate the outdated Diversity Visa Lottery:

“President Trump is right, the Diversity Visa Lottery Program is a problem and is plagued by fraud. Given these serious concerns, Senator Cotton and I have proposed eliminating this outdated program as part of the RAISE Act. While Senate Democrats originally created the Diversity Visa Lottery in 1990, many have supported legislation that would have eliminated it in the years since. I hope we can include this area of common ground as we work to fix our broken immigration system and strengthen our national security.”

 

Background:

  • The Immigration Act of 1990, established the current Diversity Visa Lottery Program which was spearheaded by Senator Chuck Schumer.
  • The Diversity Lottery is plagued with fraud, advances no economic or humanitarian interest, and does not even promote diversity.
  • The Diversity Lottery is an arbitrary way to distribute the privilege of U.S. citizenship based on nothing more than the luck of the draw.
  • The RAISE Act would eliminate the 50,000 visas arbitrarily allocated to this lottery.

Senators Perdue, Cotton Propose Rational Changes To Legal Immigration

Featured, News

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACTS:
February 7, 2017 Megan Whittemore, 202-228-1023

Caroline Vanvick, 202-224-6594

 

Senators Perdue, Cotton Propose Rational Changes To Legal Immigration

 

RAISE Act restores historic immigration levels to meet needs of economy

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators David Perdue (R-GA) and Tom Cotton (R-AR) today unveiled the Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment (RAISE) Act, legislation that will help raise American workers’ wages by restoring legal immigration levels to their historical norms and rebalancing the system toward employment-based visas and immediate-family household members. The RAISE Act would lower overall immigration to 637,960 in its first year and to 539,958 by its tenth year—a 50 percent reduction from the 1,051,031 immigrants who arrived in 2015.

 

 

Click HERE to watch the RAISE Act Press Conference

 

“We are taking action to fix some of the shortcomings in our legal immigration system,” said Senator Perdue. “Returning to our historically normal levels of legal immigration will help improve the quality of American jobs and wages.”

 

“It’s time our immigration system started working for American workers,” said Senator Cotton. “The RAISE Act would promote higher wages on which all working Americans can build a future—whether your family came over here on the Mayflower or you just took the oath of citizenship.”

 

Specifically, the RAISE Act would:

 

  • Prioritize Immediate Family Households. The RAISE Act would retain immigration preferences for the spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents while eliminating preferences for certain categories of extended and adult family members.

 

  • Eliminate Outdated Visa Lottery. The Diversity Lottery is plagued with fraud, advances no economic or humanitarian interest, and does not even deliver the diversity of its namesake. The RAISE Act would eliminate the 50,000 visas arbitrarily allocated to this lottery.

 

  • Place Rational Limit on Permanent Residency for Refugees. The RAISE Act would limit refugees offered permanent residency to 50,000 per year, in line with a 13-year average.

 

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Senator David Perdue: We Must Remain Vigilant In Protecting Our Homeland

State & National

Senator David Perdue: We Must Remain Vigilant In Protecting Our Homeland

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) comments on the attempted terrorist attack in New York City:

“Today was the second terrorist attack on our nation’s largest city in two months. Both events are a byproduct of our broken immigration system. The perpetrator of the October attack entered the U.S. through the visa lottery. The suspect in today’s attack entered through chain migration. We must remain vigilant in protecting ourselves, our homeland, and our interests abroad. As today’s failed attack has shown, radical terrorists will not succeed in their mission. I join the country in thanking all of New York’s finest today for their swift action and bravery as we continue to root out terrorism both at home and abroad.”

Background

  • The suspect in custody is believed to have entered the United States from Bangladesh through extended family chain migration.
  • Senator Perdue has introduced the Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy (RAISE) Act to end chain migration, eliminate the outdated visa lottery program, and create a merit-based immigration system.

Senator David Perdue Talks RAISE Act With Fox News’ Steve Hilton

Politics, State & National

 

Senator David Perdue Talks RAISE Act With Fox News’ Steve Hilton

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) spoke with Steve Hilton on Fox News Channel’s The Next Revolution With Steve Hilton about the Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy (RAISE) Act and why it should be included in any solution to fix our country’s immigration problems.

Getting Back On Track: “Our immigration system has gotten off track in the last 50 years. We’ve looked at best practices around the world to see what can we do to address the issue. We found Australia and Canada that both have a system that’s pro-worker, it’s pro-growth and proven to work.”

Needs Of Our Economy: “This is based on a democratic idea in the early 90s under former Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush. The bipartisan commission headed up by Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, a Democrat, came to the conclusion we need to move in the direction of a point system and bring in workers who are qualified for the needs of our economy.”

Bipartisan Solution: “I believe we’ll get bipartisan support on this bill because it’s so common sense. It is pro-job, pro-worker and pro-growth. It’s proven to work in Canada and Australia. This is not an experiment. We know this will work.”

Leveling The Playing Field: “What we have now is a competition for labor around the world and for technical workers. This gives us a little more level playing field.”

Measured Approach: “A lot of people who immigrate here get trapped because they’re not qualified for the jobs that are available. About half of all immigrant households in America are in our welfare system. Nobody wants that for them. This is a way to try to protect both them, and the other workers that are coming in.”

Growing The Economy: “One of the ways you defend yourself is by having the best and the brightest talent in the world. That helped create this economic miracle over the last 70 years. We have the most qualified people in the world. Look at our nuclear capability today. It came from immigrants. Why wouldn’t we want to welcome those people?”

Senator David Perdue Discusses RAISE Act At Center For Immigration Studies Event

Politics

Senator David Perdue Discusses RAISE Act At Center For Immigration Studies Event

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) joined Dr. Michael Teitelbaum, former Vice Chair of the Jordan Commission, at a Center for Immigration Studies event to discuss the Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy (RAISE) Act and why it should be included in any solution to fix our country’s immigration problems.

Different World: “Congress hasn’t done anything to our immigration system since 1990. That’s almost thirty years ago. In 1990, the Internet really wasn’t used for the most part. What we have is an entirely different world now with an immigration system in the United States that does not meet the needs of our country.”

Three Prong Issue: “Immigration has serval dimensions to it. First, it is a national security issue. Secondly, it is an economic issue, as we have proven over the last 230 years of our history as America. Third, it has humanitarian dimensions to it as well. There are some 65 million refugees around the world today.”

Targeted Approach: “We tried to put the RAISE Act into context as it relates to national security, economic needs, and humanitarian needs. What we didn’t do, is what Congress often tries to do, and that’s try and solve the comprehensive problem all at once.”

Majority Of Americans Agree: “This bill is pro-worker, pro-growth and it has been proven to work. Seventy-two percent of Americans support an immigration system that is limited to the worker and to the workers’ immediate family. 72%! I challenge you to find another topic where you can get 70% of Americans to agree.”

Solution For Legal Immigration: “We’re trying to engage the Senate to make something happen to where we can get a solution on the legal immigration side. In my opinion, any solution to the immigration problem must include the RAISE Act and the end of chain migration in America.”

Drawing From Best Practices: “The RAISE Act is very simple. This is just one piece of what I think is the ultimate solution to our immigration problem. You have to start with a high ground and that’s what we have tried to do. We looked at other countries to find best practices, and we really like what was recommended by the Jordon Commission back in the nineties.”

Merit-Based System: “We looked at the things that make people contributory to our economy, as well as maintained a refugee category and eliminated what is called the visa lottery. There are merit-based skills that we looked at—basically education, job, age, investment, accomplishment, and English—and compiled a 100-point scale system.”

Ending Chain Migration: “We are letting current immigrants determine who future immigrants are going to be under this current immigration system. I would argue that is not contributory to an economy in the situation we are in today. This is a system that is absolutely screaming to be reformed.”

Calling Out A Crisis: “Congress typically functions very well in a crisis. Tom Cotton and I are calling this out as a crisis. If you want to grow the economy, you have to fix your immigration system. If you want to fix your national security system, you have to fix your immigration system. You certainly can’t ignore it.”

Senator David Perdue Discusses Immigration & Health Care With Laura Ingraham

Politics, State & National

Senator David Perdue Discusses Immigration & Health Care With Laura Ingraham

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) joined The Laura Ingraham Show to discuss President Trump’s address at the United Nations General Assembly meeting, health care, and why the RAISE Act should be included in any Congressional solution to fix our country’s immigration problems.

Click here to listen to the interview.

Leading Again: “President Trump is reengaging with the rest of the world. He’s doing two things: One, he’s telling our allies that we’re going to be there for them. But, more importantly, he’s telling other people – who are doing nefarious things – what’s important to America.”

Leveling The Playing Field: “I’ve worked in Asia and Europe. I’ve dealt with these archaic trade rules all of my career. Job one right now is getting our economy going again, and getting on a level playing field with the rest of the world is one of the best ways to do it.”

Fixing Health Care: “At this point, given the terrible nature of the structure of Obamacare and given that we failed several weeks ago in repealing Obamacare, it’s very difficult to get a perfect solution. I’m afraid that this bill is the only thing standing between us and a single payer system, and that’s a real concern.”

Securing America: “The wall has got to be there. We’re going to find a way. This is a precept that got President Trump elected, and we’re not going to stop fighting for that. It’s a national security issue.”

RAISE Act Proven To Work: “The RAISE Act moves us to an immigration system based on merit, just like Canada and Australia. They’ve had this for decades and they’re attracting the best and brightest of the world.”

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